Thursday, September 16, 2010

Mark Prichard MP, The Pope Vs. BBC

In today's Mail;

'Blatant bias' in BBC's coveragea

A Catholic MP has accused the BBC of 'institutional Christianaphobia' over its coverage of the Pope's visit.Mark Pritchard is urging Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt to give the corporation's director general Mark Thompson a dressing-down for its news stories on Catholicism and Pope Benedict XVI.The Tory, who is vice chairman of the parliamentary group for the Holy See, said the BBC had displayed a form of 'blatant, anti-Christian bias'.

He said he was fed up with wall-to-wall reports of the how the church was supposedly in decline.The BBC's main bulletins have also led with debates on the Vatican's response to child abuse and homosexuality.The Tory MP for the Wrekin also questioned why there were no positive stories about the church.

'The Catholic Church is an imperfect institution but it is amazing the BBC has found nothing positive to say about a church whose key message is to love thy neighbour including feeding the poor and helping the homeless,' he said.'The coverage of the church ahead of the Pope's visit so far shows yet more evidence of institutional Christianaphobia at the heart of the BBC.'

If we're talking about blatant how about the blatant mis-information and agenda driven hand ringing from the Wrekin MP. Apart from the arguments about a religious organisation masquerading as a sovereign nation so it can have State' visits, The BBC (and other outlets) are reporting this state visit more than than they would for just about any other, with the exception of perhaps a US President. If the Holy See is a State as they claim, then what other head of a State with of a population the size of the Vatican (900) would get a similar amount of coverage? None.

It is a FACT that the Pope is visiting. It is a FACT that some people are happy about it. It is a FACT that lots of people are not so happy about it. It is a FACT that they have sold fewer tickets than they expected (30,000 fewer in Glasgow for example). It is a FACT that there is ongoing controversy over child abuse scandals within the Catholic Church. It is a FACT that the Church is in decline.

This is how the media works Mark, I'm sure you know this (of course you do, you're playing the game too). The Good stuff is irrelevant when your beloved institution fails to act and in certain cases protects CHILD RAPISTS, not to mention it's medieval views on women and homosexuality.

The BBC are doing exactly what they should be doing, reporting the news. Not acting as a cheerleader for this deeply flawed organisation. A good friend works for the BBC and has told me over the past couple of months just how much effort (for effort also read cost) just to cover this blokes visit to Birmingham, in all his years at the Beeb he's never been so busy. They've even had a line fitted near the runway at Birmigham Airport so they can report when his 'Holiness' gets on his plane....it's unprecedented. Midlands Today have been leading with positive Pope stories for weeks, about how to get tickets, who will be performing for him, etc. I'm sure he knows this but it doesn't fit Mark Pritchard's BBC bashing agenda. No doubt when the costs are announced in a few months time he'll have something to say about the wasteful spending within the BBC.

They've been raping Children, protecting those who have raped children, denouncing homosexuality, denying women equal rights, promoting the spread of HIV/AIDS and large families in some of the poorest areas in the world through their opposition to contraception and want to deny Women the right to an abortion in all cases AND YOU WANT POSITIVE STORIES?

Once again Mark Pritchard MP has shown himself for what he is; an ill informed mouthpiece who really isn't fit for office.

5 Comments:

I for one am grateful to the Pope for his timely warning about aggressive atheism. Imagine a society where paedophile catholic priests aren't telling us how to live our lives and we had only people who don't believe the universe was created a few thousand years ago by a sky fairy to give us moral guidance. Unthinkable isn't it?

(Shurangama Sutra and Mantra)(Kṣitigarbha)(Avalokiteśvara) (Mahāsthāmaprāpta)(Amita Buddhaya)(Bhaiṣajyaguru)The Twelve Vows of the Medicine Buddha upon attaining Enlightenment, according to the Medicine Buddha Sutra are:To illuminate countless realms with his radiance, enabling anyone to become a Buddha just like him.To awaken the minds of sentient beings through his light of lapis lazuli.To provide the sentient beings with whatever material needs they require.To correct heretical views and inspire beings toward the path of the Bodhisattva.To help beings follow the Moral Precepts, even if they failed before.To heal beings born with deformities, illness or other physical sufferings.To help relieve the destitute and the sick.To help women who wish to be reborn as men achieve their desired rebirth.To help heal mental afflictions and delusions.To help the oppressed be free from suffering.To relieve those who suffer from terrible hunger and thirst.To help clothe those who are destitute and suffering from cold and mosquitoes.